The Federal Member for Bowman Henry Pike MP has warned that Labor’s changes to disaster funding will leave Redlands residents exposed when the next major weather event strikes.
Mr Pike said Labor’s decision to impose a blanket 50/50 funding split between the Commonwealth and States had been made without proper consultation and ignored the real risks faced by communities like the Redlands.
“Cyclone Alfred showed just how vulnerable South-East Queensland can be. The Redlands felt the impacts firsthand and federal support played a vital role in helping our community recover and rebuild.”
“Under Labor’s changes, that support is now at risk,” he said.
Mr Pike said the decision had blindsided councils across the country, with local governments warning they do not have the financial capacity to absorb the additional burden. He argued that Queensland would be disproportionately impacted by the changes.
“Queensland faces more floods and other forms of natural disasters than any other state, yet Labor wants to shift more of the cost burden away from Canberra,” he said. “That has real consequences on the ground in places like the Redlands.”
Mr Pike pointed to concerns raised by local Councils and noted that the collapse of Disaster Relief Australia highlighted the consequences of failing to maintain strong and resilient disaster response arrangements.
“Disaster Relief Australia, often used as a replacement for Australian Defence Force support, has now collapsed into liquidation.”
“Councils are already warning that these changes will leave communities exposed, with funding cut and ‘boots on the ground’ support now in doubt,” he said.
Mr Pike said the situation raised serious questions about who would step in to support communities during recovery efforts.
“When organisations like Disaster Relief Australia are no longer operating and funding is being scaled back, communities are left asking who will be there to help them rebuild,” he said.
The Local Government Association of Queensland has recently warned that the current disaster response system had been built on strong partnerships between all levels of government.
Mr Pike said now was not the time to weaken disaster funding arrangements.
“Our disaster response arrangements have repeatedly proven their worth and should be funded to continue, not cut back,” Mr Pike said.
“Communities like the Redlands need certainty that when disaster strikes, we can be sure that the Federal Government will step up and not step back,” he said.
“I will always stand with our communities and keep fighting to ensure they get the support they need, when they need it.”